Narrowest possible car seats

I need a new carseat for DS - DD is in the Babylove Ezy Combo, and I had thought just put him in that and get her a new Booster (she is 5 this month and plenty big enough for the just boosters) - but I hate the Ezy Combo - the wings on it are just too big (we have a Corolla - and sometimes we need an adult in the back between the two seats) - plus DD seems to dislike it.

So if I am going to get two new ones, a convertible booster (DS is almost 3 about 18kg and about 95 cm tall), and a booster and I want the narrowest possible including wings - what should I go for?

I have been looking at the Infasecure website but judging narrowness seems hard and there are just so many - I also hate shopping so am hoping that I can make up my mind then just go to one shop and get them and not have to see them and decide (the Combo was a result of me just going and buying one based on results not even thinking about how fits in car).

DS (6) has a hipod. I bought it when he was only 3, & used it with a H harness. Back when I bought it I found a convertible (5pt harness - booster) seat, one of the first out, but it was recalled with in weeks of me buying it. I couldn't find another one under about $500, so went with the hipod. Glad I found one for DD, she's still in the harness at 3.5.

The hipod is quite narrow. The back of it adjusts & moves up, so there are no big wings. The base is probably a little smaller too. DD's is infasecure. It is quite bulky in comparison.

Infa Secure Vario is one of the narrowest boosters. Maxi Cosi Goliath is my pick for Convertible booster. It has also been released as a couple other names.

(from my excel file on car seat dimensions)
Infa Secure Vario Booster 4 y - 8 y 430mm width
Safe-n-Sound Maxi Rider Easy Adjust Convertible Booster 6 m - 8 y 7kg 460mm width
Maxi Cosi Goliath Convertible Booster 6 m - 8 y 5.1kg 450mm width

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Infa Secure Vario is one of the narrowest boosters. Maxi Cosi Goliath is my pick for Convertible booster. It has also been released as a couple other names.

(from my excel file on car seat dimensions)
Infa Secure Vario Booster 4 y - 8 y 430mm width
Safe-n-Sound Maxi Rider Easy Adjust Convertible Booster 6 m - 8 y 7kg 460mm width
Maxi Cosi Goliath Convertible Booster 6 m - 8 y 5.1kg 450mm width

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Are those widths for the top of the seat (where the wings are) - or the base. I know the Comfi Caprice from Infasecure is 50cm at the top - which is the same as my Ezy Love one. Infasecure say the Vario Booster is 400mm at the top - so I like the sound of that one for the Booster.

DS although only nearly 3 is very close to the convert to booster mark on the Ezy Love Combo - so maybe he should just have that one, and then can go into a thinner just Booster earlier - he is as big as some 4 year olds I know.

Target had some Mothers Choice Seats in which looked really narrow at the top.

Researching car seats proved disastrous today, I went down to measure ours and locked myself out with only a tape measure and the car keys, so I had to drive to DH's work and get his keys off him.

The infa convertible boosters are not very slim (at all spots), that s why i had to go for alternatives even though i would have preferred 3 infa models. They have slim car seats (kompressor) and boosters (vario), but not the convertible boosters yet.

from memory, i only noted the widest point of the seats bc i was trying fit 3 in a smaller car. the maxi cosi webiste says "Narrower seat design allowing up to three seats in most modern cars for greater passenger space " and in the pic it looks fairly even from top to bottom.

Thanks for all the tips HotI - the mothers choice one at Target I think was the Nobel - people seem to think can get 3 in a Yaris - and they did look pretty narrow prob 45cm I reckon. As does the Maxi Cosi Goliath like you say.

Once a childs shoulders meet the height marker does that mean they should definitely go to the Booster mode - I put DS in DD's seat tonight and he was maybe half an inch off the height marker - but in the just boosters are the height markers at a different height? It seems a bit silly to buy a convertible booster for DS if he would have to go into booster mode very soon.

I have now totally confused myself - DS is in a Compaq deluxe (purchased in 2009) which has no height markers on it. He looks too big for it to me, but seems is rated till 4 years old, but have no idea how I check if is suitable still height or weight wise?? It isn't too wide, so if he was still ok in it I could just keep him in it.

there is a fb group that is very knowledgeable about all that is car seats in australia. ( Child restraints. Is your child restrained correctly? )

i think the goliath is same as the nobel and also the custodian, just different badges.

older seats are weight based. most 0-4 car seats have an 18kg weight limit forward facing. do you still have the manual to check?

different seats absurdly have different heights to switch to booster mode. Also, some older models have lower switch heights than others (same seat but different covers).

i think the law says that children must be in 5 point harness car seats until at least 4 years. the only exception is if they are too big for ALL car seats on the market, not just the one that you have.

car seat research drove me crazy! i kinda wish i had got a convertible booster for DD, rather than a booster, so i could keep her in harness for longer plus not having to try to do buckle up (in booster) when there is a seat next to it. i do prefer the Vario to the hi liner. dh has a hi liner in his car.

I do have the manual, I am fairly sure it will be 18kg as that rings a bell from purchase. I had better weigh him and see but I suspect he will be about 18kg.

I can't help much with what seat to get, but I'd definitely go for a convertible booster. We bought one that's from 6m-8y and I honestly think it's the best way to go (not from 6mo though, we bought it when we bought our second car which was when dd was nearly 2)
It has the seatbelt harness like a car seat which you can take off to convert to a plain booster, but the seatbelt holes seem to go higher than they would in a car seat, which indicates you can keep them in the 5 point harness for longer, huge plus IMO!
We thought it'd be such a waste getting her a car seat which she'd have to be out of within 2 years, but obviously she couldn't go in a booster yet, so that became our best option.
I can't remember the name of our one, but it is rather bulky anyway, but they did have plenty of different ones when I was looking :)

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there is a fb group that is very knowledgeable about all that is car seats in australia. ( Child restraints. Is your child restrained correctly? )

i think the goliath is same as the nobel and also the custodian, just different badges.

older seats are weight based. most 0-4 car seats have an 18kg weight limit forward facing. do you still have the manual to check?

different seats absurdly have different heights to switch to booster mode. Also, some older models have lower switch heights than others (same seat but different covers).

i think the law says that children must be in 5 point harness car seats until at least 4 years. the only exception is if they are too big for ALL car seats on the market, not just the one that you have.

car seat research drove me crazy! i kinda wish i had got a convertible booster for DD, rather than a booster, so i could keep her in harness for longer plus not having to try to do buckle up (in booster) when there is a seat next to it. i do prefer the Vario to the hi liner. dh has a hi liner in his car.

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I think I have decided to get the Nobel for DS and the some sort of Infasecure booster for DD - she passes that 5 point test thingy and finds the strap between the legs uncomfortable - she is not tiny so I can see why. I like Infasecures stance on the harness situation - e.g. they acknowledge the research about the problems with using additional harnesses. Which Vario did you get? Is hard to see the difference between say the Kid and the Caprice apart from the colorful covers?

I think mine is Vario Caprice, just the black one. i think the second name is just different fabrics, maybe padding. once i decided on vario, i was happy with whatever i could get best deal on at the time.

if you buy two at same shop you might be able to sweet talk them into a bigger discount.